Snowed today, so I want out plowing. I noticed that my winch got slower and slower. By the end, every time I used the switch to use the winch, my lights got dim and my speedometer would go blank. Using the winch totally drained my battery while the wheeler was running. It got so low that when I tried to get the plow back up it would try to raise, then power to it would cut out for a minute or two. When the power came back on I'd try again and the same thing, my speedo would go off and the winch would cut out then my speedo would go on. All this happened while the wheeler was running. Anyone know how to fix this problem?

 

I can think of a few possibilities for your troulbe.
1). Stator has failed and output is too low or none.
2). Voltage regulator has failed.
3). Short in the wiring harness is causing the amperage drain.
4). Battery has reached its useful life and not accepting charges anymore.
5). Your total amperage usage is higher than stator output.

For 1 and 2, check the battery terminal voltage while holding the throttle about 1/2 way. It should be around 13.5+ VDC.
For 3, look for any wire or electrical component that has a sign of getting hot.
For 4, hook up the battery to a charger and check the voltage while charging. It should be 13.0+
If all (1-4) tests pass good, do this last.
For 5, run the quad without using the snow plow, lights or any electrical component for about 30 minutes and check the battery terminal voltage immediately. It should be 12.8+ VDC with the engine OFF.
This is assuming you have a MF or AMG type sealed battery.

 

What is a stator? Could it be, I couldn't find a place to Mount the terminal that connects all the wires to the switch(I Forget the name of it, Its a Warn switch set up)and the winch, so I wire banded it to a frame down tube. The wire band is not over any wire connectors, its over 2 tabs on each end of the connector. Think this has anything to do with it? Also I know the battery is low cause I'm always charging it just to keep the juice up for starting, and if you have a problem and need to crank the starter a couple times, it definitely gets low. I know I used the winch allot over the summer and had no problems, but it wasn't being used over and over again like when you plow. I also have grip heaters that draw allot of power.

 

Take the battery to an auto parts store.They will test it for free.If your always charging it,chances are it has a bad cell.

 

Stator is another name for alternator on your quad - a/c charging device.

 

You learn something new every day. thanks for the info guys. Oh by the way, called every ATV dealership in the area today and a battery wear house who was supposed to have every battery made, and they all told me that the battery I need is a strange rare battery( This is a battery for a 02 Prairie) and they would have to order it, and it will cost 80 to 90 $. WHY IS EVERYTHING SO FLIPPIN DIFFICULT!

 

The original battery in your quad is Yuasa MF KMX or YTX-14 which is the one of the most common type and size used on many quads (all BF and recent Prairies) and many other type of recreational vehicles (toys). If someone is telling you that battery is a rare type, he/she is not familiar with quad batteries at all. Stay away from them . They might sell you something inferior that can ruin your quad - seriously. KMX-14 is specially designed for 650 by Yuasa (in Redding, PA) and that's why it starts with K for Kawi. If you look at the position of your battery under the seat in your quad, you would know what I mean.

 

I find Wal-Mart has the best prices on bike battery's.